Abundance or Edible Fish, 
107 
307. The abundance of fish at the estuary of the Barima is very 
w ell known to the Indians and Venezuelans living at the mouth of the 
Orinoco, who accordingly visit it frequently. Amongst the numerous 
fish met with here, the Morocotu or Osibn, a species of Mylctes, is the 
most tasty and hence very much sought after : indeed, hardly had our 
War raus recognised it than they disregarded everything else and gave 
it their whole attention. The fruit of a large tree which they called 
Caracamata served them as bait, for which reason they always carried 
it about with them. Towards evening several of our companions spec- 
ially laid themselves out to catch some, and witth this end in view chose 
a spot offering them as much security as possible against the current. 
While the ones stood ready waiting with bow r and arrow, another threw 
these fruit into the water, and at the very moment a morocot let itself 
be seen coming to the surface to swallow it, for which purpose it has 
to turn somewhat on its side, it became the prize of those on the watch 
who never missed. The fish were almost always from 25 to 28 inches 
long and generally about 12 inches high. 1 have never found them else- 
where than on the coast at the mouths of the rivers, so that, it would 
seem that they avoid fresh water. A similarly taSjty fish, also only 
frequenting the mouths of the coastal rivers, is the Querimanni, a spe- 
cies of Muni], which however never took the hook, and had therefore 
to be caught in nets. 
368. On account of this wealth of fish, particularly of the Queri- 
manni, in October, November, and December, whole crowds of people 
betake themselves here to salt the catch or dry it in the sun and then 
bring it down the coast to the Georgetown market, w here a Querimanni 
fetches three shillings on the average. We came across but one single 
Venezuelan with three corials who wanted to benefit by the rainy 
season that had set in. 
369. Except for several orchids such as E pidendnuii and Maxillariu, 
that covered the trunks of the Rliizopliora, and a number of the pretty 
yellow Oncidium iridifolium and Zygopetalum rostratum that had 
chosen the shady bushes of the Aviceuaia, my botanical interest found 
but little to stimulate it. 
370. The unfavourable weather also prevented my brother making 
any astronomical observations, so that his plan of surveying the Bar- 
ima up to the Boca de Navios was upset. As all other attempts like- 
wise failed, he had to limit his survey of the Barima to the immediate 
river-bed, for w hich lie chose the rate of sound transmission to meas- 
ure distances between different points. On the 12th May he accord- 
ingly had both our mortars set up at distantly separated spots with 
instructions to fire them at fixed specified intervals, for which purpose 
each detachment carried a chronometer while he himself stood on the 
opposite shore and watched the times taken between the rising of the 1 
smoke of a mortar and the receipt by him of its sound. 
371. When towards evening Mr. Glascott returned to the tent w ith his 
division, he brought two giant electric eels ( Gymnotus electricus ) 7 feet 
